For thousands of years, sporting events and competitions have been one of the most popular forms of entertainment. Today, throughout the world sporting events are the predominant means of both entertainment and recreation for people of both sexes and all ages. Due to the number of, and variety of, individual sports, it is difficult to classify them. Two ways of differentiating sports is to separate those that are played indoors or outdoors, and those that are played by individual people or teams, although there are some sports that can be played both indoors and outdoors by individuals and teams.
The number of people who participate in sports has grown in both recreational/amateur groups and professional groups. Additionally, the number of people who enjoy watching sports has also grown significantly. The introduction of televised sporting, events has made it convenient and easy for many people to watch their favorite sporting event(s). While televised sporting events do provide a popular viewing means, especially for sporting events that are not occurring at a close location, most sport fans agree that the optimal viewing experience can only be achieved by being present at the event. It is a shared experience among the fans of a particular athlete or team, an experience that unites many different people in a common goal.
Unfortunately, it is not also possible to provide fans with the ability to easily view a sporting event. Of course, professional sporting events often occur in large, purpose-built indoor or outdoor stadiums or arenas, which are capable of seating thousands of individuals. This is not the case though for lower-level, non-professional and professional sporting events, even when these events are highly organized and attract a significant number of fans.
Perhaps the most serious example of this problem occurs during games of non-professional soccer. Throughout the United States there are many amateur soccer leagues which are played by both adults and children. There are organized teams and scheduled matches between the various teams in a league and many parks provide soccer fields that are reserved for each match. The problem is that there is usually little or no seating available at a park for spectators/fans. The people watching the soccer match either bring their own folding chair(s), place a blanket on the ground, or simply stand in place around the field.
Obviously what is needed is a convenient and easy method of providing seating at a sporting event where other seating is not available. The seating must be simple and quick to assemble and disassemble and must be capable of providing seating for various numbers of individuals and/or at locations, such as fields, of various sizes. Optimally, it would be beneficial to provide seating that is similar to typical stadium type seating which has proven to be effective for sporting events.
A search of the prior art did not disclose literature or patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention. However, the following U.S. patents are considered related.
Pat. No.INVENTORISSUED7,739,838Borglum, et al22 Jun. 20105,292,177Balderi8 Mar. 19944,611,439Graham, et al16 Sep. 19863,914,909McNeal2.8 Oct. 19753,451,361Sorenson24 Jun. 1969
The U.S. Pat. No. 7,739,838 discloses an easily and quickly assemble a bleacher that includes light-weight components which can be assembled by one person without the use of tools. The bleacher includes a latching and locking mechanism for attaching a seat boards, foot boards and riser boards without the use of fasteners.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,292,177 discloses a modular seating system having at least two supporting elements that function as a seat support. Each supporting element includes a hollow shape having vertical supporting walls and is formed from a polymer reinforced by an inert fibrous filler. The elements support a seating component that includes a beam provided with a first plate affixed at each end in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the beam. One or more seating units are attached to and supported by the beam.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,611,439 discloses a portable bleacher including a mobile frame supporting a pair of hinged elongated stringer members, each carrying a plurality of seats. When the stringer members are pivotally swung to their operative position the stringer members are aligned and decline transversely of the mobile frame. The bleacher may also be provided with extensible and collapsible rails which move with the stringer members.
The U.S. Pat. No. 3,914,909 discloses a bleacher construction which has a plurality of hinged sections. The sections interfit when pivotally folded together to define a readily portable assembly.
The U.S. Pat. No. 3,451,361 discloses a portable bleacher structure comprising a frame having rearward and forward ends and a floor engaging portion. The frame has a plurality of casters secured to its rearward end so that the bleacher can be tipped rearward 90-degrees from its normal position to a transport position. A plurality of stop assists are secured to the rearward end of the frame which engage the floor during the transport operation.
For background purposes and as indicative of the art to which the invention relates, reference may be made to the following remaining patents found in the search:
Pat. No.INVENTORISSUEDD441,461Bryjak, et al1 May 20012,343,832Pinson, et al7 Mar. 19443,230,907Morford, et al25 Jan. 19663,525,184liarbers, et al25 Aug. 19704,790,594Temos13 Dec. 1988